Diesel Aerosols in an Underground Coal Mine

The case study was conducted in an underground coal mine to characterize submicron aerosols at a continuous miner (CM) section, assess the concentrations of diesel aerosols at the longwall (LW) section, and assess the exposures of selected occupations to elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC). The results show that aerosols at the CM sections were a mixture of aerosols freshly generated at the outby portion of the CM section and those generated in the main drifts that supply fresh air to the section. The relatively low ambient concentrations and personal exposures of selected occupations suggest that currently applied control strategies and technologies are relatively effective in curtailing exposures to diesel aerosols. Further reductions in EC and TC concentrations and personal exposures to those would be possible by more effective curtailment of emissions from high-emitting light duty (LD) vehicles.

Automated summary

This study investigates submicron aerosols in an underground coal mine, specifically focusing on the continuous miner section and longwall section. The findings suggest that the current control strategies and technologies are effective in reducing exposures to diesel aerosols, but further reductions can be achieved by curbing emissions from high-emitting vehicles.